Steven Gerrard

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

41 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

I would rather spend £0 this summer and see what Gerrard can do with this squad, than letting him buy five players then having to sack him because he can't get them to play.

So you would basically handicap us, and not give a new manager the opportunity to get better players in, and/or players which better suit whatever he is trying to implement, to prove that he is up to it?

Basically with the same players which helped get the last manager sacked and have proved multiple times that they have probably reached their ceiling, or need to be squad players at most?

This sounds more like sabotage than anything else. To BOTH the club and Manager.

That might sound more the norm, at the likes of Man City, Chelsea, ( Since their squads are basically world class already ) or Norwich City on the other end of the spectrum.

And not even those clubs would do it.

Edited April 2, 2022 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[romavillan]

I'm a bit confused with the line some are taking that we need a major overhaul as the players aren't good enough. Smith got the boot because he wasn't getting performances from this squad who were mailed on top half. 

Now with the addition of Coutinho, all of a sudden it's the players? And we need a major overhaul? Why didn't we stick with Smith and back him in Jan and the summer then? 

Gerrard and Beale have had this lot playing well in a couple of formations, including the 2 tens. Seems to me they should be held to the same measure as Smith to be fair. 

[Tomaszk]

10 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

So you would basically handicap us, and not give a new manager the opportunity to get better players in, and/or players which better suit whatever he is trying to implement, to prove that he is up to it?

That isn't what it said no.

It said:

I would rather spend £0 this summer and see what Gerrard can do with this squad, than letting him buy five players then having to sack him because he can't get them to play.

Can you imagine how stupid it would be to spend £150m-£300m and then sack the manager who bought them?

He needs to be led in the market. Not allowed to pick whoever he wants.

[foreveryoung]

I've said it in other threads, when you have a striker who's lost his mojo, like can't score for shite and McGinn who performs only for Scotland lately, that's half your problem. Two major players, doing almost nothing.

One thing I will winge at Gerrard for, is he obviously has his favorites. This don't work if you want to progress, you have to be ruthless as a manager, all the big boys show this

[Villa_Vids]

36 minutes ago, hippo said:

Whoah - there's a ticking time bomb !

Stevie G won't work with someone else's picks - where as DS stated on numerous occasions other people sourced the players - that doesn't mean players were imposed on DS - just that others sourced the players and DS signed off on them.

My guessing is Stevie G won't work like that. He will say very precisely I want this player or that player.

Of course that will mean Johan Lange is to some extent marginalized. Whether he will roll with that who knows.

And who is to say that is the wrong approach? Gerrard being selective on who we bring in may be a good thing. I think this falls on Purslow and Lange too, they have to be inquisitive and future proof decisions. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Villa_Vids

[Delphinho123]

Very surprised at his post match comments.

He’s basically alluding to the fact that he knows he’s going to get 3/4 new players in the Summer. He was pissed off, rightly or wrongly, but to say what he did, surprised me a little. You don’t often hear that honesty from coaches. 

I hope to god he recognises we’re so poor in central midfield. Honestly, you could swap the current three out and I wouldn’t mind one bit. Ramsey should be kept as he has very high potential but I wouldn’t t care one bit if Luiz, McGinn, Sanson etc didn’t play for us again. 

[Guest av1]

4 hours ago, MattVillaPortsmouth said:

Seriously no better than deano

Although we are currently higher in the league than we was under Deano so your post is demonstrably wrong. 

4 hours ago, Xela said:

He'll be here at the beginning of next season so no point clamouring for change. I'll judge him on how we are next season.

Few players in the team today won't be here next season and on this showing, deservedly so. 

100% people waffle on about having spent £300 or whatever it is under NSWE and assume we should be higher up the league, it’s absolutely laughable. A newly promoted team spending £300m over 3yrs is very different from say a Wolves or a West Ham going out and spending the same. 
 

4 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

I agree. Some of these player are absolute  .

 

Agreed, and yet we sit 10th in the PL, so if the manager is a shit as some would have you believe the standard of the league must be appalling, or the anti Gerrard brigade are just talking shit? 

[Zero7]

36 minutes ago, hippo said:

Whoah - there's a ticking time bomb !

Stevie G won't work with someone else's picks - where as DS stated on numerous occasions other people sourced the players - that doesn't mean players were imposed on DS - just that others sourced the players and DS signed off on them.

My guessing is Stevie G won't work like that. He will say very precisely I want this player or that player.

Of course that will mean Johan Lange is to some extent marginalized. Whether he will roll with that who knows.

Good, we have bought utter dross over the last few years. We need a sea change in our transfer philosophy. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

35 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Can you imagine how stupid it would be to spend £150m-£300m and then sack the manager who bought them?

He needs to be led in the market. Not allowed to pick whoever he wants.

We spent 300 mill and then did this?

The same could be said with any new manager, it will always be a risk.

However, this is where the club and recruitment team need to come in with the longer term strategy for the CLUB.

Ridiculous requests should obviously be vetoed.

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[M_Afro]

29 minutes ago, romavillan said:

I'm a bit confused with the line some are taking that we need a major overhaul as the players aren't good enough. Smith got the boot because he wasn't getting performances from this squad who were mailed on top half. 

Now with the addition of Coutinho, all of a sudden it's the players? And we need a major overhaul? Why didn't we stick with Smith and back him in Jan and the summer then? 

Gerrard and Beale have had this lot playing well in a couple of formations, including the 2 tens. Seems to me they should be held to the same measure as Smith to be fair. 

Two things:

We didn’t stick with Smith because he bought the players that are not performing and left us with a totally unbalanced squad.

Smith also totally failed to get away from the relegation zone with said players.

Fortunately Gerrard has elevated the points return with the same players and moved us away from danger. When he balances the squad in the summer, hopefully things will improve further. If they don’t then any criticism will be very fair.

[DCJonah]

35 minutes ago, romavillan said:

I'm a bit confused with the line some are taking that we need a major overhaul as the players aren't good enough. Smith got the boot because he wasn't getting performances from this squad who were mailed on top half. 

Now with the addition of Coutinho, all of a sudden it's the players? And we need a major overhaul? Why didn't we stick with Smith and back him in Jan and the summer then? 

Gerrard and Beale have had this lot playing well in a couple of formations, including the 2 tens. Seems to me they should be held to the same measure as Smith to be fair. 

It's a very good point.

A lot of people who were against Smith for so long had very high expectations for our squad. It does now seem have gone quiet on that front. 

[DCJonah]

1 minute ago, M_Afro said:

Two things:

We didn’t stick with Smith because he bought the players that are not performing and left us with a totally unbalanced squad.

Smith also totally failed to get away from the relegation zone with said players.

Fortunately Gerrard has elevated the points return with the same players and moved us away from danger. When he balances the squad in the summer, hopefully things will improve further. If they don’t then any criticism will be very fair.

Smith got to play Buendia, Ings and Bailey for a grand total of 38 minutes. 

[romavillan]

8 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

Two things:

We didn’t stick with Smith because he bought the players that are not performing and left us with a totally unbalanced squad.

Smith also totally failed to get away from the relegation zone with said players.

Fortunately Gerrard has elevated the points return with the same players and moved us away from danger. When he balances the squad in the summer, hopefully things will improve further. If they don’t then any criticism will be very fair.

Fair enough but I would say that Smith hardly ever got to play his first eleven in his preferred formation. Gerrard came in just as key players came back. Personally I think when we've been good under Gerrard we've looked really good, but overall I don't think it's been that different to what Smith could have got out of these players.

I'd love to know what really happened with O'Kelly and Terry too. I think those two going was massive.

[VillaParkAvenue]

22 minutes ago, av1 said:

100% people waffle on about having spent £300 or whatever it is under NSWE and assume we should be higher up the league, it’s absolutely laughable. A newly promoted team spending £300m over 3yrs is very different from say a Wolves or a West Ham going out and spending the same. 

Brentford are now just 3 points behind us, not sure we want to compare spending with them. In fact, the only team we will want to compare ourselves with are Everton.

[DJ_Villain]

21 minutes ago, Zero7 said:

Good, we have bought utter dross over the last few years. We need a sea change in our transfer philosophy. 

Can’t help but disagree with that considering the abortions we purchased towards the end of the Lerner era and during Xias reign…

We have talented players playing for us… They just aren’t playing together well - and that needs addressing and it isnt a situation that we as fans want to see our beloved club in…

but in comparison to the Syllas, Bacunas, Bennett’s and Westwood’s - player for player? We are light-years ahead in ability 

[Demitri_C]

Another poor losing run. With spurs next.

All i know is he needs ti turn this around quick as its been **** poor recently

[nick76]

5 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Smith got to play Buendia, Ings and Bailey for a grand total of 38 minutes. 

Also, just lost the star player which everything went through and the star striker from last season who apparently never gets injured according to some in the summer was injured for the first few games and played poorly since, and his other attacking player, Traore was also injured.  Old discussions but sick of people stating things and putting no context with it.

Our first league game we had El Ghazi and Young in the midfield/forward areas with Ings and Buendia starting for the first time.  Also at the time Nakamba who wasn’t thought of as he is today.  Now Gerrard has the option today of Watkins, Ings, Bailey, Traore, Buendia and Coutinho. (Gerrard confirmed Ings was an option).

[Demitri_C]

Sorry but im not having this debate again. Smith deserved the sack. We were shite under him and fighting relegation.

At least gerrard despite the shit recent form has steered us clear of relegation this year.

[useless]

Our players aren't bad, but also not as good as some think, and I think a few are going to be in for a shock come the transfer window, our owners mean business and can see us making a lot of changes upgrading the team.

Some too sentimental over the current crop just because they aren't as bad as the players we had in the championship and struggling in premier league seasons, those years have lowered expectations and standards, but Gerrard and the owners are trying to raise them again, which might end up working against Gerrard, not this season, but next season there will be a lot of pressure on him, as there will be on any VIlla manager, as a lot more will be expected from us as we look to move away era when finishing midtable is seen as a good season.

[nick76]

Just now, Demitri_C said:

Sorry but im not having this debate again. Smith deserved the sack. We were shite under him and fighting relegation.

At least gerrard despite the shit recent form has steered us clear of relegation this year.

I almost agree on Smith but apart from the initial but bounce under Gerrard, the last 14 games we’ve got 17 points with Spurs, Leicester and possibly a rearranged Liverpool coming up.  We were never going to be relegated under Smith or Gerrard but Gerrard’s form only looks ok because the relegation teams are really shite this year.  With the games coming up I’m glad we have points in the bag.